DIY bathroom wall tiling

Re-tiling your bathroom can be a massive job, but with proper preparation, you can save yourself a lot of money by doing it yourself. Here are a few tips to get you started.

Have the right tools

If you have the right tools at hand, tiling can be a much more pleasant experience. You will need:

• Enough tiles to cover the whole area in one session, plus 10-15% extra for breakages and cutting mistakes;
• Adhesive;
• Grout;
• Snapping Pliers;
• Tile Saw (for tricker tile cutting, such as around pipes);
• A tile scorer for cutting tiles along a straight line;
• Tile cutter;
• Tape measure;
• Plumb line;
• Spirit level;
• Tile spacers;
• Sponge (for grouting)
• Plastic bucket;
• Straight edge;
• Battens;
• Silicone sealant (for grout).

Preparation is everything

Preparing surfaces for tiling is the most important stage of the process. You may have to remove old tiles, and this can reveal some surprises. Dry rot and excessive moisture damage is more common than you think, and may require some replastering of walls first. In this case, you will have to wait four days before tiling can begin.

Along with the tools above, you may also need scrapers and other equipment for removing the old tiles, wallpaper, old paint, etc. Cracks and holes must be sealed properly, any enamel paint sanded back to make it more porous, and the surfaces should be clean and dry. Once your surfaces are ready to go, so are your tiles.

The fun part

You will need to start with the battens, lining them up straight with a spirit level to make sure you don't go all wonky from the outset. Once these are securely in place, spread the adhesive evenly with a notched spreader, only going as far as you can tile in 20 minutes. Slide the tiles into place, as this ensures the adhesive is spread properly. Wipe any excess adhesive out from in between the tiles so it doesn't take up space where the grout is meant to be.
When you're tiling, try to make any cuts as unseen as possible. That means making sure that cuts don't appear in the middle of the wall, but are hidden at the end.

When your tiling is done, leaving enough time for the adhesive to settle, you will then have to grout. Grouts come in large array of types and colours, so make sure you get the right grout for your tiles (for instance, if you're tiling with marble, make sure you don't use an abrasive grout). After grouting you will have to wait up to 2 days, depending on the grout, before sealing with silicone. This last step is vital, and makes sure water doesn't seep behind your tiles and start rotting the walls and floors underneath.

If you are using border tiles or inserting features, make sure you plan the location of these in advance. Calculating how many tiles is needed can be difficult, but it's important to order all of your tiles at the same time, because batches may vary. If you have to go back for more, you could end up with tiles that have a slightly different look.